Cabaret Concert Theatre

The Cabaret Concert Theatre was a small cellar café/cabaret, located in the Silverlake section of West Los Angeles, California, that operated between 1950 and 1961. Created by dancer Miriam Schiller with the help of a group of young actors and dancers who wanted a place to showcase their talent, the 100 seat theatre became a popular nightspot among television and film producers, talent scouts, agents and celebrities, who came to eat, drink and enjoy a wide variety of sophisticated revues, plays and concerts. ["Press Telegram (Long Beach, CA), September 19, 1956, "New York to See Delightful Hollywood Revue"] The long-running "Billy Barnes Revue" ran for two years before transferring to the larger Las Palmas Theatre and, subsequently, Broadway. Among the many talents whose careers benefited from being seen at the Cabaret Concert Theatre are Ann B. Davis (who was cast as "Schultzie" in the long-running Robert Cummings series, "Love That Bob"), Jackie Joseph ("Audrey" in the 1960 version of "The Little Shop of Horrors"), Ann Morgan Guilbert ("Millie Helper" on "The Dick Van Dyke Show"), Joyce Jameson ("The Steve Allen Show"), Bert Convy (the Broadway productions of "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Cabaret") and Ken Berry ("F Troop"). The performers, who received little or no pay for their work, supplemented their income by waiting on tables, taking tickets and other essential activities.

Located at 4212 Sunset Blvd. at the intersection of Sunset and Myra, the building was built around 1900 and was used for many years as a studio by D.W. Griffith and his epic film, "Birth of a Nation" screened there in 1915. In 1961, the building was converted into an authentic replica of a 16th Century Spanish tavern and renamed El Cid. Still operating today, El Cid continues to present a variety of entertainers, from flamenco dancers and Spanish guitarists to rockabilly singers, burlesque performers and comedians. [ [http://www.elcidla.com/legacy.html El Cid Legacy] ]

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